Exterior of Mountfield and some redecorating

Hello again everyone. Hoping you are having a great weekend. After a cold and wet week, we are enjoying some sunshine. And subsequently getting laundry done... Sigh!

I wanted to post some photos of the exterior of my Mountfield. It's getting very close to being done, save for some more landscaping. There are still a few things left to go, like some more aging, fixing the gable trim (undecided on what it will look like, plus the laser cutter isn't working) and replacing the windows with my own leaded glass designs. You can see I gussied up the front door a bit with some wood mouldings and brass stampings. I am quite happy with it, even though I know much of it doesn't match the true age the house is supposed to be.

Also, I added some picture rail to the lounge and dining rooms, with a plain paper above it. This is something I've been thinking about for ages, as I just found it all too bland. I purchased two different coloured scrapbook papers at the local craft shop and fortunately they went well with the papers. I just glued strips of it over the wallpaper and stuck the picture rail over the join. I think I just need to recover the chairs in the lounge though.

Was really stoked I finally remembered to buy a fire whatsit guard thingo (the word escapes me right now) for the dining room - the shiny brass thing out front of the fireplace - but it is too small. I guess I'll need to order a Phoenix one same as the lounge one. The paper I added is a pale grey/stone colour.

The entry is about done. You can see a little pair of plain brown ladies shoes beside the table. They are just metal ones I painted. I think the basket needs something too, maybe some dried greenery or twigs.

In the photo below you can see the Chrysnbon Edwardian telelphone on the wall. It is hard to see, but like having things in cupboards, I think it's nice to have a few slightly hidden details that you have to hunt out.

Hope you are having a great weekend wherever you are.

Partially decorated 1:24 shop

Happy Friday! I hope your week has been a good one. I have spent some more time working on prototypes and instructions for my laser cut kits (with mixed success) and decorating the French shop. Here are some photos, with paperclay almost done. Just a little more painting, roof tiles and then some aging. I had thought I was about done with the design on this kit, but even now, having put it completely together, redesigned parts and had them cut, putting it back together, I am still figuring out slight fixes that are required. Frustrating but worth getting right.

I keep hoping the design process gets easier and quicker but not sure about that! I seem to take two steps forward and one back, but it is fun and engrossing. 

Have a great weekend everyone.

Melbourne Miniatures Fair 2015

Hello everyone. Despite terrible wintery weather, I had a rather pleasant visit to the Melbourne miniatures fair on the weekend just gone. Lots of great goodies but having just given up paid employment, money was a little tight. But I did get a few great things. I am really impressed at the standard of mini knitters here. I purchased these off a New Zealand lady. She had a whole range of Beatrix Potter characters, and it was really hard to choose. She also did dolls, gollies, monkeys, pigs, lots of things.

I couldn't go past Mr Tod, and then went back for Benjamin. They are currently of no fixed (dollhouse) address, but they will find a home no worries!

The same lady also made teapots, so I picked this up for a future cottage. It is 1:24 scale.

More tiny knitted toys, from a different seller, which are sitting on a 1:24 chair, with a 1:48 scale teaset. 

I can vaguely knit, and seeing these makes me want to be able to knit well. Maybe one day I will have some time to learn! I am better at crocheting, so thought I could try making tiny amigurumi animals - how cute would they look? 

I'd seen this tea set at the fair last year and regretted not buying it. It's not the fanciest set, it wasn't very expensive, but hey, I'll never afford the real silver that is hand-made, so I am happy with these. 

I hope you are all well and that you have a good week ahead of you.

Half scale French shop

 Hi all. Just wanted to post a little update on my half scale French shop kit design that I have been working on. I had all the parts laser cut about 6 weeks ago, and they're not 100% perfect yet, but good enough to put together and photograph for the kit instructions. 

On that note, my photos aren't great, but I am practising! And they are goood enough for the instructions for now. Until I can maybe get bettter at it!

Soo here is the front so far:

I am pretty happpy with how it's turned out and having fun putting it all together (and making the last few alterations!). Hope you like and enjoy the rest of your week!

Photos for Michelle

As well as for others who were interested in her gorgeous Gothic house. Years ago I saved these photos, I think from and Ebay listing. No idea whose they were or who made the dollhouse, but has to be the same maker - the bones are the same. Anyway, I love it and I hope you enjoy these pictures.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Lazy Sunday

Hello everyone. I am hoping to get a little more done on my minis today, but I still have to help my husband in the garden digging holes for a little bit (trying to get a little landscaping done after too many years of doing enough in the garden). 

The mini landscaping for Duddingwell's has progresseed a little. Some mosses and lichens and grass were added, as well as some gravel. Once done, I will add some more dirt/colour to the rocks. The trough has not been attached yet, as it is awaiting its water, plants, etc. I made some espaliered shrubs but they are all too wide. I will need to trim one back or make another I think, as I really want one on this build.

I have finished the initial part of painting the French Robert Dawson panels (with the exception of the doors). I will need to do a little touching up of the paint where I've slopped over the greens, marbling the skirting and fireplace and now debating over aging the whole thing. I quite like it as it is, but thinking that might change!

The photo wasn't good to start with, as the light was too low in my craft room, but you get the idea. 

And lastly, I have put together a few Lisa Engler kits. They are very easy and really cute - a great project for a tired weeknight in front of the TV! I included this photo as it is really good/clear/crisp as a bit of a test to see how it appears on my blog.....

Hmmmm, so far in draft form, it is not coming out well.  *sigh*

I am nearly finished with the prototype for my little French art nouveau shop. So I am hoping to get it laser cut in the next couple of weeks! When I have all the pieces cut from card and stuck together, I will post some pics so you will have an idea of how it is going to look. That will hopefully be by tonight. Enjoy your day everyone!

Thanks for photo tips

A chilly hello from Ballarat, a lovely old city from the Victorian gold rush era. It is only early April, but is already feeling very wintery. Yesterday I walked around in a long sleeve t-shirt, a wool jumper and a puffa jacket, it was that cold. But Ballarat is one of those cold places, certainly colder than it is where we come from.

I wasn't really intending posting about our weekend away, but instead thanking people for their photography tips. I will try everyone's tips to see if it helps, but my photos are generally pretty clear. It still seems that the problem is the uploading to blogger. I think it may be something to do with using the blogger app that I use. Anyway, I will keep fiddling with the settings of the camera and blogger and see what happens.

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend, wherever you are.

Question for Blogger geniuses

Hi again. I am wondering how you blogging folks get your photos to publish with crisp photos. Mine are always blurry. I've tried resizing them before uploading but it doesn't seem to work. Anyone got a trick? Maybe I need to make them smaller still. Would appreciate your tips!

And Janine, yes, real life and hobby time two blur! I am making the kits that I myself want. I work on them one day a week currently, but hope to increase that time mid-year! 

Keep mini-ing everyone!

Nothing finished but some progress at least!

TDo you ever feel like you work and work and work and nothing ever gets finished? I suppose when you have lots of projects on the go at once, and then you keep changing your mind on things, then that's what happens.

So firstly some Mountfield updates. The bathroom isn't far off done. I still want a table or small cabinet for here (a wall that can't be seen in this pic) and some accessories, and contemplating trying to antique the tiles a little, but I think I am reasonably happy with it as it is.

The laundry still needs accessories, including a vintage washing machine. And I haven't quite figured out how I will age the tiles, but I definitely think they're too white.

And this is a clock kit that I made from a Cynthia Howe kit. It was super fine pieces and I actually broke a piece of the decoration, but managed to glue it back on so you can't tell. But it was crazy TINY!!!!

I am still playing with the kitchen a lot, rearranging accessories. Not sure that I am happy with it but I will keep playing!

And on Duddingwell's, I have done most of the paperclaying and started on landscaping. This is a real learning process for me. Not so much techniques, but just having the courage to start something and not worry about how it is going to look. I am trying to push my inner perfectionist aside. I keep telling her that if I don't like it, I will be able to fix it.

There is a little trough on a pile of rocks which I will fill with some water and a plant or two (and maybe fish?). I have since aged the stucco a little, painted the stones and pavers, started with bits of moss and grass and some gravel and dirt as well. I will need to get motivated to make lots of plants though. 

And lastly, some little pictures from the French shop. I have been looking over this with a critical eye of late and thinking about some little changes or additions. Here is a shot from the sewing room:

I used this soft air-dry clay on this house and it has yellowed over time. I do like aspects of it, but some parts, like the exterior, I'm not so sure about. So I am considering a few detail changes, but then I don't want to start from scratch, and I don't think this sort of clay is very changeable. Anyway, keep thinking.... Maybe some vines? Ivy? Cover up half of it with ivy would look good!

And here is a corner of the shop. Just trialling accessories for now. I do love how the red display table turned out, and my home-made boxes underneath. The thread cabinet is a Lisa Engler kit. I might've shown it previously?

Anyway, hope you enjoy your weekend. We have stunning weather, and I am itching to get back to my little houses! After the household chores of course.... Sigh....

Little French armoire

Hello all. A quick post again on another kit I've designed. This one a French armoire with glass (acrylic) doors. It is not complete. I couldn't get the cutter to cut all the parts correctly, but the major parts worked fine. Another couple of small refinements to the drawings and finding the right wood and it's ready to go!

Here is a photo of the waste from learning how to cut, what materials, cutter speed, etc etc etc. 

And here is a pic of the kit which has finally worked:

On the right side of the photo is a trumeau mirror in two sizes which still needs some tweaking. The smallest is too small and the larger is OK - a relatively large mirror - but the trim needs adjusting.

It's so satisfying to be making significant progress and learning so much from the cutting and designing process. Thanks too for the encouragement and tips from various blog readers. It's really appreciated. Enjoy your week!

Very first laser cut prototype!

Did I already mention that my husband bought me a cheap laser cutter? Anyways, if I didn't, he did. He managed to get it working and we spent much of Saturday and Sunday cutting stuff (as well as setting some stuff on fire!). We learnt lots though, which is an interesting part of the process. Having learnt a few things, I will now adjust many of my designs accordingly. 

I showed you a prototype of a little stove which was printed out and stuck to cardboard and cut out and stuck together, a little while ago. Well, here is a laser cut version of it:

I wanted to show a photo of the cardboard one next to it, but I can't find it. It lacks the engraving details, but a really good starting point. It is also a little larger than it is supposed to be as we were still figuring out the importing/scale issue. I am aiming to have kits available for purchase by July, at the latest - lots more prototyping, buying materials etc in the meantime though!

Hope you are all well.

Quick post of the French wall panels

Hi all. Just posting to answer a couple of questions I received. The panels are made by Robert Dawson of the Modelroom. I bought them at Kensington DH Fair a few years ago. Here is a close to finished shot of the panels now:

This is the fireplace wall with doors either side. The whole thing will be glazed to antique it and give it a slight sheen - I hope, in order to look like the 300yr old plus panels at places like Versailles. I am yet to marble the fireplace, and will probably marble the skirting to match. 

Thanks for your lovely comments too! Hope your week is going OK.

Happy Australia Day!

Hello everyone from a sunny down under! We have had a lovely and productive Australia Day in the garden as well as cleaning out some hoarded stuff in order to shuffle some other stuff around. But we did have a barbecue lunch of course with snags and home-made tomato sauce, so it was pretty good! Now I am enjoying a particularly nice wine from an Australian winery, McHenry Hoehnen - check it out if you ever get the chance! 

Now, the real reason I am posting. A little update on my French chateau (which still needs a name - I am thinking of le petite monstre!). I am slowly getting the panels for the salon painted, but the paint needs multiple coats on the carved details, so it is slow going.

Here is the back wall with all the panels joined together and undercoated:

Here is the left side wall with the window openings:

The walls will be a couple of centimetres thick to allow for curtains and panels in the window cavities. Also, I want to give the impression of shutters tucked in behind the panels - in some rooms, I hope to have them actually fold out.

Here is the back wall panel painted in the cream topcoat before all the carving is painted:

I will add a thin moulding to match that already on the top of some of the panels (as can be seen in the above photo in the middle) and then add the cornice when the panels have been installed, and maybe a carved ceiling. Soon I will have some gatorfoam to construct other interior walls. Also, my darling husband bought me a belated anniversary present of a laser cutter, so if we can get it working, I will cut out some windows and parquet flooring and this room will really get moving. The rest of the structure has been designed around this room, so I won't be getting anything else done on the house until this room is installed. I suppose I could get going on the exterior, but that hinges on windows being installed. All in good time!

Hope you've all had a great weekend!

A very beautiful give-away

I was looking around discovering new blogs a couple of days ago and found this very beautiful artist's box full of paints, tape, brushes, a rag, a pencil and other painter's supplies, on Adriana's Bagus blog which she made and is generously giving away. I had to be in the running for this, it is so exquisite. Hop on over to her blog and check it out.

Happy new year!

Hello all. I hope your new year has got off to a great start, although I am sending out lots of love to all those affected by the shootings in Paris in the last few days. It's an horrific event and sad for everyone across the globe.

But on a brighter note, I have made some little bits and pieces for my Mountfield, so it is slowly nearing the end point. I still can't decide on three major pieces of furniture, and until they're found, some rooms just can't be finished. There is also the matter of fincances! I have just recently gone back to full pay, so money is less of an issue, but I want to save as much as I can too (holidays, laser cutter, general spending money for when I quit work, etc). But for now, I will show you my shadow box for the front bedroom:

There are a couple of little printies and a real seashell. The remainder of the accessories I painted myself. On the bottom shelf at the front is this very cute little basket with roses in it. I can see a little paper flower garland draped over the shadow box in the near future I think.

Here it is in situ:

Sorry about the bad lighting, it's a very overcast day. 

I made the little shelf with the books and painted the cat bookend the little scotty dog: (the chair is just a fill-in for now)

I have put white tiles in the laundry, and although the tiles themselves are great, they are very white and stark. They are also very shiny and don't take paint. Now I am contemplating spray painting them with a matt varnish so that I can antique them and then respray with a gloss. Just a little worried about getting gloss paint everywhere! What are your thoughts? Has anyone else tried to antique/age gloss tiles?

I am also working on a little front garden of the Mountfield. I hope to get my butt into gear and show some exterior photos soon.

I have also tried making some dolls from Liquache. Not sure if I have reported on that in this blog yet, but here you can see some examples:

I am still playing with getting the right consistency, and as the pour holes in the moulds are so tiny, it's hard to get enough slip in to get the shell of the doll thick enough. Consequently, I have broken quite a few, or the slip hasn't poured right. But I am progressing slowly. The girl in the pink shoes now has a lace dress and arms, so will try to get her finished and photographed so you can see her. The little one is a tiny Patsy doll. These tiny dolls really are adorable.

Hope the new year brings good things for you all. And much love to all those amazing French people to remain strong.